Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey

Item: Seams Deadly
Rating: 4
Author: karenbaron

Posted May 31, 2023 by karenbaron in Mystery, Review / 0 Comments

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Seams Deadly

by Maggie Bailey

Series: Measure Twice Sewing Mystery #1
Series Rating:

Published by Crooked Lane Books on September 5, 2023
Setting: Peridot, Georgia
Genres: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover, Kindle
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Books-A-Million

When seamstress Lydia Barnes finds a dead body soon after moving to a new town, she will need more than shear luck to find the killer, in this novel perfect for fans of Molly MacRae and Anna Gerard.

Lydia Barnes is excited for a fresh start when she moves to the quaint mountain town of Peridot, Georgia. Her friend, Fran, offers her a job at the Measure Twice fabric store and even sets her up on a date with the handsome Brandon Ivey, who also happens to be Lydia’s new next-door neighbor. Finally, things are looking up. But after a disaster first date that ends with a fist bump instead of a kiss, Lydia doesn’t think her night can get any worse. She’s soon proven wrong when she later stumbles upon Brandon’s dead body.

Considered the prime suspect by the police, Lydia calls on her friends to help her hunt for the truth and prove her innocence. But when another body is soon found inside the Measure Twice store, Lydia knows that the killer must be close by, and that this town has more than its fair share of secrets. Who would want to frame the newest addition to Peridot for these terrible murders—and why?

Lydia may discover that while sewing might have a pattern, killing rarely does. Will she be able to stitch together the clues and clear her own name before the killer strikes again?

Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey has newcomer Lydia Barnes trying to start anew in this small mountain town.

Can Lydia Barnes catch the real killer?

Lydia Barnes

Lydia Barnes finds herself at a time in her life when she needs a new start. See, Lydia is forty years old, a recent divorcee, and moving from a big city to a small town. Lydia has also made a career change from being a middle school English teacher to working at Measure Twice. She is also living above the shop. Lydia isn’t quite ready to return to the dating scene and thought it was just a friendly get-together to make a new friend.

I feel like Lydia focused too much on her ex-husband and how he left her and that she went into her head a lot. I don’t know if I would be friends with Lydia if I met her on the streets.

The Mystery

After walking her dog, Charlie, Lydia decided to head to Brandon’s apartment to give him some brownies to help with his writing. She walks in and finds him murdered. Lydia is now trying to find out who the actual murderer is while trying to continue with her life. Well, it being Labor Day weekend doesn’t help much. Lydia is searching for Brandon to see if anything in his life could have caused this. I have to say that I figured out who did it, but not the motive until all the clues line up. I thought the police officer’s made-up motive for Lydia being the culprit was unreasonable and slightly ridiculous.

Four Stars

I am giving Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey four stars and a recommendation to anyone that likes to read cozy crafts and hobbies mysteries. Ms. Bailey does a good job of pointing the clues to the real murderer. I just caught who the killer was before the sleuth and had a hunch about why that person was doing it. Lydia, Charlie, and Baby Lobster are an interesting little family, that is for sure.